Irohazaka Winding Road
A mountain road from central Nikko to Lake Chūzenji, split into separate up and down lanes with 48 hairpin bends, each marked with a Japanese kana from the iroha poem.
Irohazaka is the mountain road linking central Nikko (about 800 metres above sea level) with Lake Chūzenji in Okunikko (about 1,270 metres). It is part of National Route 120. The road is divided into the First Irohazaka, used for descending, and the Second Irohazaka, used for ascending. Each lane is about 8 km long. Together they contain 48 sharp bends, and each bend has a sign marked with one character of the Japanese iroha poem (い, ろ, は and so on), which gives the road its name. It is also one of the best-known scenic drives for autumn foliage in the Kanto region. On the way up, stop at Akechidaira and take the ropeway to the observation deck, where Kegon Falls, Lake Chūzenji and Mount Nantai can be seen together. Once at the lake, visitors can see Kegon Falls, the Chūgū-no-miya shrine of Futarasan Shrine and the Italian and British Embassy Villas Memorial Park. Then continue to Senjōgahara and Yumoto Onsen in Okunikko. On autumn weekends in mid-to-late October, traffic can be jammed for hours, so set off early in the morning or take a Tobu bus. In winter the roads ice over and need snow tyres. On the descent, use low gears and avoid riding the brakes for long periods.